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The following signs and symptoms are by no means exhaustive. Some children may exhibit some or all of the following symptoms. There are many fact sheets available from either DFCD or from the National Organisation at Hitchin. To get hold of them click on " All About us at DFCD" or "HITCHIN - The National Organisation" above and e-mail or write to us.
What to look for before the age of 3.
- Some irritability at birth.
- Poor feeding.
- Poor sleeping.
- Engages in high levels of motor activity, constantly waving arms and legs.
- Slow to achieve milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking, hopping, jumping, walking up and down stairs.
- Constantly bumping into things or tripping or falling.
- Limited ability to concentrate on specific play tasks.
- Unaware of dangers eg jumping from heights
- Often frightened and will not climb on apparatus
- Delayed Language acquisition or may need speech therapy in the early years.
What to look for before between 3 and 5 years of age.
- Continued high levels of motor activity, including feet swinging and tapping when seated. Chair swinging, hand clapping and an inability to stay in one place or concentrate on one task for more than 5 minutes.
- Very exitable or emotional with associated temper tantrums.
- Difficulty riding a tricycle/bicycle .
- Poor body or ground awareness.
- Continued Messy Eating.
- Difficulty with jigsaw puzzles and an inability to understand game rules.
- Immature Drawing.
- Lack of imaginative play.
- Isolation with peer group.
- Limited understanding of verbal instuctions.
What to look for before between 5 and 7 years of age.
- Problems with adapting to a more structured school routine.
- Difficulties with PE.
- Slow at dressing and an inability to tie shoe laces.
- Barely legible handwriting.
- Immature writing and poor copying skills.
- Poor listening skills.
- Literal use of language.
- Slow completion of school work.
- Undecided as to which hand is dominant.
- Reporting of physical symptoms ie migraine, headaches, or feeling sick.
Poor handwriting is one of the most common symptoms of dyspraxia and as a child progresses through the educational system the requirement for written work increases. By the age of 8/9 the children who have not had some form of early intervention could well become disaffected and poor school attendance is much in evidence in secondary education.
With access to appropriate treatment, the majority of dyspraxic youngsters could have their needs accomodated within the mainstream setting. However a huge amount of effort is initially required by parents depending on the area of the country you live in, how receptive the Head Teacher is and what help is available from outside agencies. If all these 3 ingredients come together then your child is likely to do well in the school systems. If however 1 of these is missing ( and it usually is) it is often up to you as a parent to press those in authority to put the resources in. If your Local Education Authority is backward in it's thinking and doesn't even recognise Dyspraxia as a condition, then you have a problem.
To find out how to get you child STATEMENTED or to go to TRIBUNAL Click Where do I go for HELP!!
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The Dyspraxia Foundation is a registered charity (No 1058352) and is limited by Guarentee. Registered in England (No 3256733).
THE DYSPRAXIA FOUNDATION (DFCD) is an affiliated member of the National Group based in Hitchin.
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Dyspraxia Explained
Where do I go for HELP!!
What Parents and Teachers Can Do
Associated Conditions
HITCHIN-The National Organisation
ALL ABOUT US AT DFCD